Paneer Tikka Parties, and other things

It has been a very busy time for me on the personal front this time. First my sister was visiting from CT, and now I have a friend visiting from Chennai. From Monday will start the stress of the XII Boards for the son. But it hasn’t kept us from having a jolly good time. The kitchen has been buzzing with activity.

Today is the deadline for March Click: Cheese! Don’t miss it! There was lots of hung curd cheese/cream cheese/labneh. I also made panir tikkas for the first time – and they were awesome! I will soon update this post with the recipe. Untill then here are some pictures of the fun times…

Good to luck to the young man for his exam! The food looks delish, and the pics are lovely!

We have been partying every night for the past two weeks! Hard to believe for most that we are in the middle of his most important exams! But I say, if he hasn’t prepared all year how will 2 weeks change much!😉

Actually, I came by to ask a question – I remember reading here a treatise on the joys of mustard oil. I think that was this blog. But I think it’s behind a jump, and I’m having trouble finding it with a simple search. But it’s something I would love to cite as I start using this oil in my cooking (my local grocer carried it in Philadelphia, PA, USA). Do you remember where I could find your discussion of the mustard oil?

And good luck to your son.

Thank you for the wishes, Livia.

The post you might you refer to might be Food Glorious Food, one of my fave posts – though, as Pel mentions below, the joy of using it is reflected in a number of posts (particularly the ones on Kashmiri cuisine)!

Anita, I made your tcharvan olu with mushroom and also made taher last week. We loved them, again making it this week.

Best of luck to your son for his exams
That’s a swell suggestion – I never know what to do with mushrooms other than chop them up in my omelets… I bet you used mustard oil!
Thanks for the wishes, Sandeepa!

Livia: she never STOPS touting the glories of mustard oil, and somehow she has now gotten most of us addicted to the stuff; I find myself whimpering when I’m down to my last tablespoon… But on her post called “Birthdays and Other Days” she really goes overboard…😀

Best of luck to your son Anita- I’ll even hold off making the G.J.’s until the results come in, but I know he’ll do well! As for your food: you’re hired to cater my next party, and be sure to leave behind that little wooden spoon in the top photo.
The credit goes to the golden liquid with the mostest flavour!
I love parties – when are you planning yours? You make mole, I’ll bring labneh.😀

Dammit! I missed tagging those spoons but I got other things. So there!
First start using that belan…we’ll talk spoons later…
But do you really need these spoons? Or is this another case of that uncontrolled wanting…?!

You know, when I used to study for my board exams, I always had something to munch alongside. I am like that – tension, stress & studies make me eat🙂 If your son happens to be like that, I can see that he has great stuff coming his way! All the best to him for his exams!
I have been very negligent this time around…when he had the X Boards he got chocochip cookes and chivda to munch. This time around it is all shop bought stuff…The novelty has worn off I guess!

Long time Anita…I’m glad the mom of the board exam taker is having a jolly good time🙂 Usually its the moms who get more worked up than the kids themselves – Paneer tikka looks yum, when are you giving out your recipe?
Missed reading your blog all this while, getting back slowly!
I was very clear that I took my Boards a long time ago and cleared them too. His turn and his turn only this time! Recipe soon…
You have a cute excuse to have stayed away!😉

But, but… SHE got a belan?! She won’t use it you know; it’ll be one more thing that she sets high up in a cupboard and which will eventually, suddenly, and inexplicably descend. I can hear it now. And we’ll have to read about it later. And not only must I make my roti belan-lessly (I’ll leave that feat to the imagination), but also I must painstakingly prepare my own mole for my own party whilst my hired help watches a bag go drip plip plop, and her dazed assistant stares at the windchimes as they go tinkly-plink ding-cling clang? Oh, what a cruel world… poor Cinder(f)ella…

You are right – you need the belan more than she does! Maybe, in exchange for some achaar (or maybe just if tell her her high-key pic is oh-so-good) she might give you hers (I’ll send you another one, M, of course. I have it already!) Or maybe you have a fairy Godmother who can work some magic?
Do not underestimate the therapeutic value of watching the world go by… or plip plop of drops of whey… or the frying, grinding, and blending of many ingredients for that matter.😆

First ,best of luck to your son.
All your write ups about mustard oil meant I had to try it.And hey I love it.I am a mallu, so mustard oil was new to me.I am a convert now.
😀 Thanks for being a good sport and testing it, Poornima! I have converted some Mallus, a couple of tambrams😀 quite a few Maharashtrians, an American or two…😀

Oh…I love the platter anita! I made the paneer tikka a month back and they tastes awesome. We can’t get wrong with it…and definitely better than restaurant tikkas. The labneh and the crackers makes me drool. This party tingles lotsa of ideas to me. Wishing your son all the very best for his exams. I am sure he’ll do wonders. Was a bit late but better than never😉

Another case of uncontrolled wanting? You do know that projecting is a sign of a more serious emotional disorder.

I will send you the belan, Pel. What other option do I have now that she has suggested (more like decreed, in public, that too) that I send it to you. It is a slim belan with ridges and is not as easy to use as the smooth ones. Very difficult, actually. It is used to make papad not rotis. And you’re right in a way – that it will descend. I was considering using it as a weapon – but I have two others that will serve the purpose just as well.

Anita, you forgot one critical activity in that list you vomited: stirring. Oh, and as long as you followed my instructions for scoring and what to do to beat the secret Jugalbandi algorithm (who cares what Pel says cos he ain’t a judge), You Are Safe. For Now.

Anita, thats a lovely CLICK!
ALL THE BEST to your son! Its alws a pleasure to read ur posts n the exchange of comments- Anita-Manisha-B-Pel! Oh made my day!😀 (Also LOL on comment on M’s High-key pics!:) I remember her lash-out reply when a comment almost did critic’s job! But I love her!)

Ooooooh! It’s a good day at THE party: a papad-making belan! [claps victoriously] Who knew there’d be party-favours? Thanks Anita!😀

But Meethanisha dearie, how will you ever make your papads after it has left your kind kitchen and is nestled safe amongst my wooden spoons? I’d hate to deprive you, y’know… maybe you should wait ’til after you whip out a batch or two for the blog?